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Despite the growing literature on sustainability assessment in the urban context, the resulting approaches and methods utilise several differing theoretical frameworks and lack a unifying vision and modus operandi. Innumerable tools and instruments have been developed for particular purposes and rather narrow goals. Curiously, these tools and instruments remain unable to trace and assess sustainability in vernacular forms and traditional built environments, even though environments such as these demonstrably possess sustainable principles beside their aesthetic values and spatial qualities. This paper reviews the theoretical background underpinning the current sustainability assessment methods in the urban context to identify their general limitations and their specific applicability to vernacular and traditional built environments. Also, this paper discusses some of the cultural and spatial qualities of traditional built form to identify its embedded sustainable strategies and practices. The paper concludes with an outline conceptual framework intended to develop general sustainability principles for traditional built forms in response to their natural and cultural contexts. A literature review of the concepts of sustainability assessment in the urban context and embedded sustainable principles in vernacular and traditional built form is followed by a thematic analysis of its limitations, which feeds into this conceptualisation of a new, principle-based framework. A total of 10 principles of sustainability are proposed to assess sustainability in traditional built environments, taking into account the variation of locality and site-specific context.

Urban system theory seeks to comprehensively capture the complexity of cities. Digital twin cities are "digital mirror images" or symbionts of physical cities, and thus, they form a complex adaptive system. Unlike the reductionist practice of urban informatization and digitalization, digital twins are expected to enable human beings to enjoy the complex beauty of the city for the first time, capable to perceive more information of city and deal with more complex urban problems. Some practical misunderstandings have emerged, however, as a result of simple technical stacking, which is not able to solve urban problems from the root of the problem; has biased thinking about digital twin cities, which treats them as technical tools; and has slowed development of digital twin innovative applications. To solve these problems, we need to draw on basic urban theory. On the basis of complex system theory, in this study, we comprehensively analyzed the characteristics and mechanisms of digital twin cities and constructed a system framework for digital twin cities. We further elucidated the digital twin city and deconstructed it from the perspective of system theory into four subsystems: the planning system, infrastructure system, industrial system, and public service facility system. We then analyzed the subsystem rules and changes in the digital twin city, as well as the principles and development trends that conform to the self-organization and self-adaptive laws of the city.

World cultural heritage (WHS) is of great significance to promoting the sustainable development of cities, and history culture is very important to achieve the goal of sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is to construct a cultural heritage evaluation system and to explore and optimize tourist routes. We take cultural heritage sites as the research object, and comprehensively use Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Delphi method and fuzzy mathematics to establish a cultural heritage tourism resource evaluation system. According to the evaluation results and questionnaires, a decision-making system for cultural tourism route planning is established, and additional sites of Qin culture are found, and a complete Qin culture route is established to provide data and theoretical basis for Xi'an's perfect cultural tourism route. The traveling salesman problem is the most basic path problem. In this study, the ant colony algorithm is used to improve the model combined with the actual problem of Xi'an tourist routes, and the optimal solution of the cultural parade route is obtained. Xi'an authorities and managers can strategically use these findings to promote Xi'an as a green destination WHS.

What are the different factors that make a territory marginal? Are contextual features related to spatial, socioeconomic, institutional, or cultural elements differently influencing marginality in different countries? These are the questions at the origin of this Special Issue. Marginal areas are traditionally defined as those far from the main urban centres, based on a core-periphery model (Cullen & Pretes, 2000; Gatzweiler & Baumüller, 2014; Herrschel, 2012; Ferrau & Lopes, 2004; Bock, 2016). From this perspective, marginality is an intrinsic spatial condition rather than a transient feature. However, the geographic distance from the poles is only one among the many conditions that can help to define marginality, which could be better defined as a process deeply influenced by socioeconomic changes (Máliková, Farrell, McDonagh, 2016). Marginal regions can be peripheral in geographical location but advanced regarding their socioeconomic situation. On the other hand, not every marginal Region is necessarily peripheral: on the contrary, several studies suggest an interpretation of marginality as a lack of socioeconomic and political connection (Leimgruber, 2004; Pelc, 2006; Bock, 2016). Moreover, in European countries such as Germany, France and Italy, the concept of marginality has often been associated with rural or mountainous areas. Still, different contributions to this Special Issue show that marginal territories may have very diverse geographical and orographic conditions. In addition, the scale at which a region can be defined as marginal and the administrative borders may also significantly influence the definition of marginality itself. The lack of a broad, shared definition of marginality affects the identification of marginal territories and the possibility of developing adequate territorial policies to rebalance their marginal condition. Europe shows different attempts at defining marginal territories before proposing devoted policies. For example, Italy refers to the concept of "inner areas" (Materiali Uval, 2014), while the Espon (2017) project PROFECY refers to "inner peripheries". The different names given to marginal territories and the different definitions of marginality require exploring the meaning of considering the other features that may make a territory marginal. As a result, marginality should move from the core-periphery model that considers accessibility to services and goods and distance from central places, considering how a combination of physical, social, economic, institutional and cultural aspects defines marginal territories.

Photovoltaik-Freiflächenanlagen haben das Potenzial, zu einem der zentralen Elemente des kommenden Energiesystems zu werden. Der Bund sieht inzwischen einen erheblichen und raschen Ausbau vor. Inwieweit in den Regionen und Gemeinden jedoch entsprechende Planungen und Maßnahmen erfolgen, wird absehbar auch von den raumordnerischen Regelungen des Bundes und der Länder abhängen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird erläutert, dass hier jeweils erhebliche Unterstützungs- und Steuerungsmöglichkeiten zur Flankierung der Ausbaubemühungen zur Verfügung stehen. Aufgezeigt werden dabei auch Querbezüge zum Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz sowie dem Baugesetzbuch und es wird dargelegt, dass die unterschiedlichen Arten von Photovoltaik-Freiflächenanlagen teilweise ein differenziertes Vorgehen erfordern werden. Regiopolises and regiopolitan regions are receiving unprecedented attention in German spatial planning policy. In addition to the promotion of the German RegioPole network by the federal government, regiopolises and regiopolitan regions are already designated in several spatial development plans. In the academic discourse, however, regiopolises are hardly taken up. This is particularly evident in the fact that dimensions such as city size (more than 100,000 inhabitants) and spatial location (outside metropolitan regions) are used to empirically identify regiopolises as such. A specific functionality or a specific significance in the German urban system, however, is only hinted at, following the established spatial planning concepts of metropolitan regions and central places. Against this background, this paper examines the question of what constitutes a regional centre or region in terms of its specific functionality and what significance it has in the urban system. The international discourses on second-tires-cities, borrowed size and agglomeration shadow are also taken up.

Für den vorliegenden Beitrag wurde aus einer postmigrantischen Perspektive der Wahrnehmung der Integration von Geflüchteten in der Gemeinde Everswinkel (Nordrhein-Westfalen) nachgespürt. Hierzu wurden sowohl Vertreterinnen und Vertreter der Gemeinde, Ehrenamtliche sowie Bewohnerinnen und Bewohner suburbaner Nachbarschaften zur veränderten Situation der Fluchtmigration seit 2015 befragt. Um zu einer breiteren Perspektive auf Migration zu gelangen, die Zuwanderung nicht mehr als ein nachgelagertes und nur die Migrantinnen und Migranten betreffendes Problem begreift, sondern als einen auszuhandelnden Zustand für die gesamte Aufnahmegesellschaft, wurde der begriffliche Dreiklang der Allianzen, Antagonisten und Ambivalenzen nach Naika Foroutan operationalisiert. Die Ergebnisse der Befragungen zeigen eine Vielfalt sich widersprechender Auffassungen von Integration. In Everswinkel sind einerseits vielfältige proplurale Allianzen entstanden, die sich insbesondere in Angeboten und Institutionen der Gemeinde materialisieren. Andererseits wurde im Rahmen der Befragungen auch Kritik in Bezug auf nachbarschaftliches Zusammenleben und das Thema Wohnen deutlich. Darüber hinaus rückt ein dritter Blickwinkel, der Ambivalenzen und Widersprüchlichkeiten in der Wahrnehmung der Integration von Geflüchteten, in den Fokus. For this paper, the perception of the integration of refugees in the community of Everswinkel (North Rhine-Westphalia) was traced from a post-migrant perspective. For this purpose, representatives of the community, volunteers and residents of suburban neighbourhoods were asked about the changed situation of refugee migration since 2015. In order to arrive at a broader perspective on migration, which no longer sees immigration as a downstream problem affecting only migrants, but rather as a condition to be negotiated for the entire host society, the conceptual triad of alliances, antagonists and ambivalences of Naika Foroutan was operationalized. The results of the surveys turned out to be very heterogeneous and some contradicting views of integration were observed. On the one hand, diverse pro-plural alliances have emerged in Everswinkel, which materialize in particular in the offers and institutions of the community. On the other hand, these are accompanied by anti-plural antagonists who are, for example, strongly conveyed through topics such as neighbourhood coexistence or the topic of living. In addition, a third perspective, that of the ambivalence and contradictions in the perception of the integration of refugees, comes into focus.

Die duale Ausbildung verbindet das Lernen von Auszubilden-den (in Berufsschulen) oder dual Studierenden (in Hochschu-len) mit dem 'Lernort' Betrieb. Die duale Ausbildung trifftman in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz an. Sie stehtfür regionale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit ebenso wie für die För-derung von Berufschancen junger Menschen auf dem lokalenArbeitsmarkt. Außerhalb dieser drei Länder ist die duale Aus-bildung nur selten gängige Praxis, bildet aber Gegenstand desBerufsbildungstransfers ins Ausland. Während über diesenTransfer bereits zahlreiche Forschungsbefunde vorliegen, istkaum bekannt, inwiefern - spiegelbildlich - Niederlassun-gen ausländischer Unternehmen im Kontext dualer Berufsbildungssysteme hierzulande ausbilden. Diese Frage wurde amBeispiel von Niederlassungen multinationaler Unternehmenin Deutschland untersucht. Theoretisch knüpft der Beitrag anForschungen über lokale Wissensbasen und die EinbettungausländischerNiederlassungen an. Die Methode ist qualitativ.Die Resultate zeigen, dass die betrieblichen Entscheider überFreiheiten von Seiten der ausländischen Muttergesellschaftverfügen und diese zugunsten dualer Ausbildung nutzen. Al-lerdings erweist sich der Aufwand für das Engagement in dua-ler Ausbildung als hoch. Duale Ausbildungsaktivität erfolgtvor allem als Anpassungsstrategie an die institutionelle Um-welt, nicht als Gestaltung. Die lokalen Stakeholder verhaltensich überwiegend reaktiv. Dies verweist auf Ansatzpunkte fürdie Forschung zu Wissensbasen und lokale Einbettung sowiepraxisorientiert auf mögliche Abstimmungsbedarfe. Dual vocational education and training systematically combines the learning of apprentices (in vocational schools) or students (in applied universities) with the 'learning venue' of the company. The dual vocational education and training exists in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and stands for regional competitiveness as well as for job opportunities of young people on the local labour market. Outside of these three countries, the dual system hardly exists, but dual practices are subject of international skill transfer policies. While this transfer is well researched, it is hardly known to what extent (in mirror image) subsidiaries of foreign companies take part in the dual system of German speaking countries. This question was examined, by focussing on subsidiaries of multinational companies in Germany. Theoretically, the contribution relates to research on local knowledge bases and the embeddedness of foreign subsidiaires. The study pursues a qualitative method. The results show that the local training managers have freedom for decision-making and use this in favour of getting involved in dual vocational education and training. However, the effort turns out to be high. Dual activities take place primarily as a strategy for adapting to the institutional environment, not as a way of shaping the environment. The local stakeholders are mostly reactive in this regard. This points to possible future fields of research on local knowledge bases and local embeddedness and, with regard to practice, to the relevance of mutual coordination.

Regiopolen und Regiopolregionen erfahren eine bisher kaum da gewesene Aufmerksamkeit in der deutschen Raumordnungspolitik. Neben der Förderung des deutschen RegioPole-Netzwerks durch den Bund sind Regiopolen und Regiopolregionen bereits in mehreren Raumordnungsplänen ausgewiesen. Im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs werden Regiopolen hingegen kaum aufgegriffen. Das zeigt sich insbesondere daran, dass zwar mit Dimensionen wie Stadtgröße (mehr als 100.000 Einwohner) und räumlicher Lage (außerhalb der Metropolregionen) operiert wird, um Regiopolen empirisch als solche zu identifizieren. Eine spezifische Funktionalität oder eine spezifische Bedeutung im deutschen Städtesystem wird hingegen nur angedeutet, und zwar in Anlehnung an die etablierten raumordnerischen Konzepte Metropolregionen und Zentrale Orte. Der vorliegende Beitrag geht vor diesem Hintergrund der Frage nach, was Regiopolen respektive Regiopolregionen hinsichtlich ihrer spezifischen Funktionalität ausmacht und welche Bedeutung ihnen im Städtesystem zuteil wird. Aufgegriffen werden dazu auch die internationalen Diskurse zu second-tires-cities, borrowed size und agglomeration shadow. Regiopolises and regiopolitan regions are receiving unprecedented attention in German spatial planning policy. In addition to the promotion of the German RegioPole network by the federal government, regiopolises and regiopolitan regions are already designated in several spatial development plans. In the academic discourse, however, regiopolises are hardly taken up. This is particularly evident in the fact that dimensions such as city size (more than 100,000 inhabitants) and spatial location (outside metropolitan regions) are used to empirically identify regiopolises as such. A specific functionality or a specific significance in the German urban system, however, is only hinted at, following the established spatial planning concepts of metropolitan regions and central places. Against this background, this paper examines the question of what constitutes a regional centre or region in terms of its specific functionality and what significance it has in the urban system. The international discourses on second-tires-cities, borrowed size and agglomeration shadow are also taken up.

Social innovation (SI) research tends to understand rural SI processes as collective initiatives of equally engaged, supportive, and like-minded people. However, recent research has indicated that SI projects often benefit from dedicated key players who find support in their communities but also must deal with resistance and barriers. Against this backdrop, this article explores the figure of the key player in SI research and exposes the patterns of rural SI processes with the empirical cases of two small communities in Germany that jointly created rural infrastructure systems, thus seeking emancipation from remote political and economic control and marginalization. Using the empirical cases, we tested and specified a heuristic framework of key players that combines analytical dimensions at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. According to our findings, the heuristic framework is appropriate for analyzing key players in rural SI processes. Notably, we show that SI processes benefit from assertive key players and strong communities capable of joint action. Both are crucial for dealing with internal opposition and overcoming external hurdles that appear when novel approaches irritate familiar solutions and routines.

A significant amount of research has been conducted regarding the resilience of the regions and the factors that contribute to allow them to face challenges, crises, or disasters. The rise of promising sectors like Machine learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can enhance this research using computing power in regional economic, social, and environmental data analysis to find patterns and create prediction models. Through Machine Learning, the following research introduces the use of models that can predict the performance of a region in disasters. A case study of the performance of USA Counties during the Covid19 first wave period of the pandemic and the related restrictions that were applied by the authorities was used in order to reveal the obvious or hidden parameters and factors that affected their resilience, in particular their economic response, and other interesting patterns between all the involved attributes. This paper aims to contribute to a methodology and to offer useful guidelines in how regional factors can be translated and processed by data and ML/AI tools and techniques. The proposed models were evaluated on their ability to predict the economic performance of each county and in particular the difference of its unemployment rate between March and June of 2020. The former is based on several economic, social, and environmental data -up to that point in time- using classifiers like neural networks and decision trees. A comparison of the different models' execution was performed, and the best models were further analyzed and presented. Further execution results that identified patterns and connections between regional data and attributes are also presented. The main results of this research are i) a methodological framework of how regional status can be translated into digital models and ii) related examples of predictive models in a real case. An effort was also made to decode the results in terms of regional science to produce useful and meaningful conclusions, thus a decision tree is also presented to demonstrate how these models can be interpreted. Finally, the connection between this work and the strong current trend of regional and urban digitalization towards sustainability is established.

Digital twins have great potential for improving urban management. However, the way that they are formulated seems to vary according to the aims of the urban management taking place. For instance, digital twins are made sophisticated and innovative when the urban manager wants to demonstrate technological prowess; they contribute to generating useful interventionist strategies if social engineering is occurring; they emphasize exploratory and collaborative mechanisms if the urban manager wants to uncover people's attitudes; and they tend to focus upon citizen engagement and mechanisms for social improvements when societal reform is the main aim. Yet those who build digital twins seldom declare their worldviews or specify why they are doing so, and this leads to two problems. Firstly, it becomes difficult to evaluate and compare different digital twins. Secondly, since urban management projects often have several contrasting aims, many researchers construct seemingly pluralistic digital twins which are, in fact, severely afflicted with inconsistency and poorly measured priorities as to what needs to be included and addressed. In order to clarify the situation, this paper comprehensively analyses the research literature to conceptualize different approaches to implementing digital twins. It then assesses three alternative, theoretical paradigms upon which a pluralistic digital twin might be grounded and evaluated, and it concludes that "critical realism", rather than "post-modernism" or "ontological flexibility' is the most appropriate.

Dieser Beitrag fußt auf der intensiven Lektüre der Inhalte der Zeitschrift "Raumforschung und Raumordnung" (RuR) - von ihrem ersten Erscheinen 1936 bis zu ihrer (vorläufigen) Einstellung 1944. Sie war das Forum für die sich in diesem thematischen Umfeld in der NS-Zeit neu formierenden wissenschaftlichen und politischen Gedanken und Überlegungen und getragen von den sie herausgebenden Institutionen, der "Reichsarbeitsgemeinschaft für Raumforschung" (RAG) und der "Reichsstelle für Raumordnung" (RfR). Es soll herausgearbeitet werden, auf welchen gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen und sie begleitenden gedanklichen Vorausarbeiten aus der Zeit vor 1933 die Autoren positiv wie negativ erwachsen konnten und welche Ausführungen dem Zeitgeist, dem Ungeist und den Zielen des NS-Regimes Tribut leisteten. Der Widerspruch zwischen fachlicher Kompetenz und gedanklicher Indienststellung dem NS-Regime gegenüber, wenn nicht gar deren Perversion, wird im Spiegel des Karriereverhaltens von Wissenschaftlern und Praktikern, die fast alle um 1900 geboren worden sind, offengelegt. Auf ihr Wirken nach 1945, ihre weiteren Karrieren wird hingewiesen, ist aber nicht Gegenstand dieses Beitrags. This paper is based on intensive study of the contents of the journal "Raumforschung und Raumordnung" (RuR) - from its first publication in 1936 to its (temporary) discontinuation in 1944. It was the forum for the new scientific and political thoughts and reflections that were formed in this field during the Nazi era and was supported by the institutions in charge of its publication: the "Reich Association for Spatial Research" (RAG) and the "Reich Agency for Spatial Planning" (RfR). The aim of the paper is to uncover which social developments and accompanying intellectual groundwork from the time before 1933 the authors were able to build upon, both positively and negatively, and which expositions paid tribute to the (malevolent) spirit of the times and the goals of the Nazi regime. The contradiction between professional competence and intellectual subservience to the Nazi regime, or even the perversion of professionality, is revealed in the career behaviour of academics and practitioners, almost all of whom were born around 1900. Their activities after 1945 and their future careers are mentioned but are not the subject of this paper.

Editorial

Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit den Machtverhältnissen im Kontext mehrerer Immobilienprojekte in einem als "Downtown" Colombo bezeichneten Gebiet. Solche Urbanisierungsprojekte versinnbildlichen die historisch gewachsenen postkolonialen Beziehungen in der sich globalisierenden Welt. Im Zentrum steht das von der chinesischen Regierung und Sri Lankas Ministerium für Megapolis und Westliche Entwicklung unterstützte "Colombo Port City"-Projekt, für das die Insel um 575 Hektar erweitert wurde. Es basiert auf einem 99-jährigen Pachtvertrag mit China für das "John Keels Cinnamon Life"-Projekt. Geplant sind ein großes Hotel, Wohnungen, Einkaufsmöglichkeiten, Restaurants und ein Casino. Durch das Projekt kam es zu Vertreibungen von Einzelpersonen oder Gemeinschaften aus dem Stadtteil "Slave Island", die entweder durch behördliche Eingriffe erzwungen wurden oder Folge steigender Preise waren. Die Autorinnen zeichnen die Politik der Urbanisierung Colombos unter dem Prinzip der "Rückgewinnung" nach. Dabei bezeichnet "Rückgewinnung" sowohl die physische Aufschüttung und Trockenlegung von Land (physical reclaimed land) als auch die Rückforderung von Land aus den Vertreibungen (land reclaimed from the Slave Island evictions) und die weiter bestehende Möglichkeit, außergewöhnliche Herrschaftsgewalt für das "öffentliche Wohl" auszuüben. Solche Investitionen und Partnerschaften deuten auf fortbestehende koloniale Machtverhältnisse ebenso hin wie auf den Versuch der sri-lankischen Regierung, eine Position als geostrategischer Partner in den internationalen Beziehungen erneut einzufordern. Nur eine von den makroökonomischen Ebene bis hin zur Mikroebene der Individuen reichende Sichtweise kann eine postkoloniale Kritik an der Globalisierung und der zeitgenössischen Geopolitik üben und alternative Modelle zu Fortschritt und südasiatischer Moderne bieten. This paper considers the geopolitical and geoeconomic power relations around several recent high rise, commercial, and tourism-based projects in what can be described as a future site of a "downtown" Colombo. These urbanisation projects also provide examples to critique and imagine the historically developed postcolonial relations of globalisation. The paper specifically discusses the Colombo Port City project - a reclaimed land project that is backed by the Chinese government and Sri Lanka's Ministry for Megapolis and Western Development, and includes a 99-year lease for the 575 acres added to the island for China - and John Keel's Cinnamon Life project - a project supported by both local investors and American hedge funds, that contributes not only another large hotel, but also apartments, shopping, restaurants, and a casino. Similar to other hotel developments, such as Shrangi-La, the evictions of Slave Island for the Cinnamon Life developments indicate a trend whereby individuals and/or communities are forced out either by government interference or rising prices. The authors suggest, first, that the politics of Colombo's urbanisation can be traced through the theme of "reclaiming", which includes not only the physical reclaimed land of the Colombo Port City project, but also the land reclaimed from the Slave Island evictions and the ongoing possibility to exercise eminent domain power for the "public good". In addition, this theme asks: do these different investments and partnerships indicate reclaimed or ongoing colonial power relations, or is Sri Lanka re-claiming their position as a geo-strategic partner within international relations? Second, and towards these questions, the authors argue that a dynamic and multi-scale lens - from the macro-economic and political international investments, to the micro-level of individuals - is necessary in order to engage a postcolonial critique of globalisation and contemporary geopolitics. Indeed, such a lens helps interrogate if these projects offer alternative models and relations to progress and South Asian modernity than what has come before in urban, postcolonial development narratives or not?

This paper examines the transformation of the territorial structure of tourism in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The spatial and temporal organisation of tourism in these countries has undergone significant changes since they became independent and joined the EU. These changes have affected the geography of tourist flows and destinations of interest. This study aims to define the geographical and economic peculiarities of the development of tourism in the Baltic States and to identify the central, peripheral and semi-peripheral regions. Elements of the centre-periphery structure were identified through cluster analysis covering the period 2009—2019. Eleven indicators were used to determine the level of socio-economic development, the state of inbound and domestic tourism and the degree of transport infrastructure development. The results of the study suggest that there have been progressive changes in the territorial structure of tourism in the Baltic States. The main centres of attraction are the capitals and their adjacent territories. Horizontal contacts with more developed regions of the EU states and vertical interaction with other regions of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have a significant impact on the development of tourism activities. Central regions are dominant in terms of attracting tourist flows. This is characteristic of a highly polarized tourism structure. However, many semi-peripheral and peripheral regions have lately improved their position, being integrated into national and cross-border tourism routes and increasing outreach in the tourism market.

Der Beitrag behandelt die Steuerung des Siedlungsflächenwachstums im Großherzogtum Luxemburg aus der Perspektive von Informalität. Luxemburg steht unter einem hohen demographischen und ökonomischen Wachstumsdruck in allen Landesteilen (Hauptstadt, altindustrialisierter Süden, ländlicher Norden), der das Planungssystem stark herausfordert. Zugleich gibt es keine formelle Regionalplanung, allenfalls Ansätze interkommunaler Kooperation, die überwiegend freiwilliger Natur sind. Anhand von empirischen Fallstudien in zwei wachstumsstarken Gemeinden (Junglinster, Schuttrange) skizziert der Beitrag Planungsentscheidungen im institutionellen Dreieck zwischen Kommune, Staat und privaten Trägern. Informalität dient hier nicht nur zur Kompensation fehlender planerischer Steuerung, sondern auch dem Umgang mit der komplexen Rechtsmaterie des Landes. Informell kommen auch die vitalen Interessen der Grundeigentümer ins Spiel: Da ein Teil derWohlfahrtseffekte des Landes über Grund und Boden realisiert wird, sind Spekulationsinteressen immanent, haben ein hohes Blockadepotenzial. In diesem Kontext formuliert der Beitrag erste Überlegungen für ein regionales Wachstumsmanagement, das die Lücke zwischen staatlicher Landesplanung und kommunalem Eigensinn schließen könnte. This paper deals with the management of settlement growth in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from the perspective of informality. Luxembourg is subject to high demographic and economic growth pressures across all parts of the country (capital, old-industrialized South, rural North), which strongly challenges the current planning system. At the same time, there is no formal regional planning, apart from approaches of inter-municipal cooperation, which are mainly voluntary in nature. Drawing on empirical case studies in two high-growth municipalities (Junglinster, Schuttrange), the paper outlines planning decisions in the institutional triangle between municipality, state and private institutions. Informality serves here not only to compensate for a lack of planning control, but also to deal with the country's complex legal framework conditions. The vital interests of landowners come into play informally as well: since parts of the country's wealth emerge from the valorization of property, speculative interests are immanent, and thus block development processes. In this context, the paper addresses elements of a regional growth management that could close the gap that exists between state planning and municipal autonomy.

Many metropolitan regions face concerns over sprawling development, increased costs of maintaining infrastructure, and loss of green space and farmland. Some metropolitan regions have intentionally created spatial policies to govern development patterns and manage growth within their region. This paper compares the spatial policies applied in three case studies: the Puget Sound region (Washington State, USA), Metro Vancouver region (British Columbia, Canada) and Stuttgart region (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). While all three regions share a vision that can broadly be summarised as transit-connected communities, each metropolitan planning organisation leverages a variety of spatial policies. Based on the unique planning cultures, various governmental actors take on different roles at the local, county, regional and state levels. This paper categorises and compares the multi-level responsibilities for defining, mapping, and implementing spatial policies. With this focus, the paper provides an international comparative perspective on approaches, context, and contents of multi-level growth management. Global sehen sich viele Metropolregionen mit den Herausforderungen des regionalen Siedlungswachstums konfrontiert. In einigen Regionen werden ganz bewusst raumstrukturelle Vorgaben der Landes- und Regionalplanung angewandt, um die Siedlungsstruktur nachhaltig zu lenken. Dieser Beitrag vergleicht die unterschiedlichen Herangehensweisen in der Ausgestaltung von raumstrukturellen Festlegungen in drei Metropolregionen: Puget Sound Region (Washington State, USA), Region Vancouver (British Columbia, Kanada), und Region Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland). Alle drei Regionen verfolgen Leitbilder einer am Schienenverkehr ausgerichteten Siedlungsentwicklung und der Stadt der kurzen Wege. Trotz eines ähnlichen Leitbildes hat jede Region eine ganz eigene Herangehensweise an die Ausgestaltung von raumstrukturellen Zielen und Grundsätzen (spatial policies) gewählt. Basierend auf unterschiedlichen Planungskulturen nehmen in jeder der drei Regionen die Akteure der öffentlichen Hand unterschiedliche Rollen auf der lokalen, Landkreis-, regionalen und Landesebene wahr. Der vorliegende Beitrag vergleicht die Verteilung der Zuständigkeiten für die Definition, das Kartieren und Umsetzen von raumstrukturellen Vorgaben in den drei Mehrebenensystemen. Aus einer international vergleichenden Perspektive zeigt der Beitrag unterschiedliche Herangehensweisen, Bedingungen und Inhalte von Raumentwicklung in Mehrebenensystemen auf.

Die Stärkung der Innenentwicklung ist ein zentrales Leitbild der deutschen Nachhaltigkeitspolitik und der Schlüssel zur Erreichung des 30-Hektar Ziels. Bis heute ist es allerdings kaum möglich, den Anteil der als Innen- und Außenentwicklung realisierten Bautätigkeit retrospektiv zu bestimmen. Dies liegt zum einen an der genuinen Unschärfe des Innenbereichs als raumbezogenes Konstrukt, zum anderen an der mangelnden Verfügbarkeit von kleinräumigen Daten zur Bautätigkeit. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird in diesem Beitrag erstmals ein methodischer Ansatz vorgestellt, mit dem die Relevanz der Innenentwicklung für große Gebietskulissen über längere Zeiträume für Deutschland ermittelt und bewertet werden kann. Die Methode wird für das Bundesland Nordrhein-Westfalen und die Wohnungsbautätigkeit der Jahre 1979 bis 2011 angewendet. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich ein positiver Trend, wonach es den Städten und Gemeinden im Zeitverlauf gelungen ist, den Wohnungsbau verstärkt als Innenentwicklung zu realisieren. Zugleich werden gravierende Unterschiede zwischen urbanen und ländlichen Räumen deutlich. Eine zentrale Schlussfolgerung lautet daher, vor allem kleinere Gemeinden in ihren Bemühungen für eine stärker bestandsorientierte Siedlungsentwicklung zu unterstützen. Strengthening inner urban development is a guiding principle of Germany's sustainability policy and the key to achieving the 30-hectare target. To date, however, it is hardly possible to determine retrospectively the share of building construction activity realized as inner and outer urban development. On the one hand, there is the genuine fuzziness of the inner urban area (Innenbereich) as a spatial construct, and on the other hand, there is the lack of available small-scale data on building construction activity. Against this background, this paper presents for the first time a methodological approach to determine and evaluate the relevance of inner urban development for large areas and over longer periods of time for Germany. The method is applied for the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the housing construction activity from 1979 to 2011. The result shows a positive trend, indicating that cities and municipalities have succeeded in realizing more housing as inner urban development over time. At the same time, significant differences between urban and rural areas are apparent. A central conclusion is therefore to support smaller municipalities in their efforts for more inner urban development.

Die Wohnflächenentwicklung im Rahmen der Siedlungsentwicklung ist ein maßgeblicher Treiber der Flächeninanspruchnahme und somit entscheidend für das Ziel, die Neuinanspruchnahme von Fläche bis 2030 auf unter 30 Hektar pro Tag zu senken. Obwohl Raumplanung und Raumwissenschaft diesen Umstand seit Jahren adressieren, z. B. über ein konsequentes Flächenmanagement, liegt die aktuelle Flächenneuinanspruchnahme in Deutschland bei rund 52 Hektar pro Tag (Stand 2019). Dies ist unter anderem darauf zurückzuführen, dass die Steuerung der Siedlungsentwicklung oftmals erst in Entwicklungen eingreift, die über die den Gemeinden zustehende Eigenentwicklung hinausgehen. Ansätze zur Steuerung der Eigenentwicklung verbleiben meist auf einer pauschalen Ebene und befördern somit dezentrale Entscheidungen, die in der Summe die gesetzten Ziele konterkarieren. Ziel des Beitrags ist es, ein Modell zur Berechnung der Eigenentwicklung vorzustellen, welches nicht nur die demographische Entwicklung berücksichtigt, sondern die Größe der Eigenentwicklung an ortsspezifischen Bedarfen ausrichtet, um so den Grundsätzen der Raumordnung gerecht zu werden und eine nachhaltige Raumentwicklung zu ermöglichen. In seiner empirischen Basis stützt sich der Beitrag auf Analysen von Daten der Statistischen Landesämter Sachsen und Sachsen-Anhalt sowie Befragungen, Interviews und Forschungsergebnisse, die im Rahmen des BMBF-geförderten Projektes Interko2 durchgeführt wurden bzw. entstanden sind. The development of residential areas in the context of settlement development is a significant driver regarding land use and thus critical in achieving the goal of reduced new land use to less than 30 hectares per day by 2030. Although spatial planning and spatial science have been addressing this issue for years, e.g. through consistent land management, the current land use in Germany amounts to around 52 hectares per day (as of 2019). This is i.a. because the control of settlement development often only intervenes in developments that go beyond the own communal development. Approaches to controlling self-development usually remain on a blanket level and thus promote decentralized decisions that, in total, contradict the set goals. The aim of this paper is to present a model for calculating self-development, which not only takes demographic development into account, but also aligns the size of self-development with site-specific requirements to consider the principles of spatial planning and thus promote sustainable spatial development. In its empirical basis, the paper is based on statistical analyses of the respective needs as well as surveys, interviews research results that have been carried out or have arisen within the framework of the BMBFfunded project Interko2.

This article introduces a new R package (pspatreg) for the estimation of semiparametric spatial autoregressive models. pspatreg fits penalized spline semiparametric spatial autoregressive models via Restricted Maximum Likelihood or Maximum Likelihood. These models are very flexible since they make it possible to simultaneously control for spatial dependence, nonlinearities in the functional form, and spatio-temporal heterogeneity. The package also allows to estimate parametric spatial autoregressive models for both cross sectional and panel data (with fixed effects), thus avoiding the use of different libraries. The official demos, vignettes, and tutorials of the package are distributed either in CRAN or GitHub. This article illustrates the potential of the package by using an application to cross-sectional data.

This paper reviews the literature on Smart Specialization implementation in less developed regions of the European Union (EU). Using a systematic literature review research protocol, I critically explore the content of selected relevant papers, examine the challenges in the Smart Specialization implementation in less developed regions of the EU, and raise critical factors that could potentially enhance the success of its implementation. The first finding of this study shows that research on related topics published in leading journals has increased significantly in recent years. Furthermore, as an essential contribution, I categorize the selected papers according to diversity in research design and methodology. Finally, I summarise three key issues of Smart Specialization implementation in less developed regions of the EU: RIS capacity and governance, local and extra-regional collaboration, and regional administrative and financial governance.

This article investigates the effects that living in heterogeneous neighbourhoods may have on well-being, in order to shed light on the potential consequences of promoting residential mix policies. Using propensity score matching models, the study investigates whether 120 disadvantaged young adults located in a heterogeneous neighbourhood in Bogota scored differently on a battery of indicators of well-being compared to disadvantaged young adults located in a homogenous neighbourhood. Results suggest that when young adults live close to better-off peers, those in heterogeneous neighbourhoods are more likely to experience reduced capability scores than those in homogeneous neighbourhoods.

Recently, smart communities are heeded to in Japan as a solution to community issues. To properly evaluate the underlying concept, it is necessary to analyze smart cities in terms of local energy and environmental aspects, as well as disaster resilience. This research aimed to summarize the requirements for Japanese smart communities, and provide this information to municipalities, city planners, and regional developers in warmer climates, or countries where few precedents exist. Nine cases were reviewed in Japan, and four in Europe and the US to organize smart community requirements into three areas: environment, social, and safety-security. Additionally, bottom-up simulations were used to quantitatively evaluate the effects of energy technology introduction, emergency Life Continuity Plans (LCPs), and changes in energy performance owing to household compositional differences. The results showed that a typical Japanese smart community (containing Fuel cell, PV, and battery) has the capacity to become a positive energy district, generating 1916 ​GJ ​yr−1, and maintain power throughout a one-week power outage if shared within the community (save for the highest temperature week in August). Conversely, Japanese smart communities lacked consideration of residential diversity and creative landscapes.

Government interventions to limit the spread of the COVID-19 disease have decreased mobility, which, in turn, impacts aggregate economic activity. Understanding mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic may serve as a proxy for understanding its economic impact. This study aims to examine the relationship between pre-existing socioeconomic factors and the economic impact of COVID-19 using aggregate mobility data, particularly from emerging economies with a dominance of informal workers within economic activities. This study will utilize the public mobility dataset to provide an exploratory picture of the socioeconomic and policy determinants of mobility during the pandemic, focusing on Indonesia. The exploratory analytical findings indicate that the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, as indicated by mobility data, is highly correlated with various prior socioeconomic determinants. Moreover, more prosperous and urbanized areas have a larger formal sector, employ more people in manufacturing and/or tourism, possess a more educated labor force, and are more digitally connected; they tend to experience more significant decreases in mobility. The study has provided lessons to developing countries with a vast informal sector size and the gap in access to digital technology to design a more effective, timely, and well-targeted policy response in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mit dem Ausstieg aus der Braunkohle steht das Rheinische Revier am Anfang eines Jahrzehnte dauernden Transformationsprozesses. Strukturmittel von fast 15 Milliarden Euro sollen in Form von Projektförderung bis 2038 vergeben werden. Grundlage dafür ist das Wirtschafts- und Strukturprogramm sowie ein regionaler Konsens mit Vertretern der Region. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es zu untersuchen, inwiefern die Förderprojektauswahl dazu beiträgt, grüne Entwicklungspfade einzuschlagen und dem ambitionierten Ziel einer nachhaltigen Modellregion für Energieversorgung und -produktion näherzukommen. Zu diesem Zweck werden die Merkmale von 22 eingereichten Projekten im Zukunftsfeld Energie und Industrie hinsichtlich einer Typologie grüner Pfade analysiert. Mithilfe von neun Interviews konnten Rahmenbedingungen (Design des Förderprozesses und Ressourcenausstattung der Akteure) identifiziert werden, die grüne Pfadentwicklungsprozesse im Rheinischen Revier beeinflussen. Es finden sich Pfaderneuerungsprozesse der regionalen Industrie sowie Pfadkreationsdynamiken vor allem im Wasserstoffbereich. Insgesamt wird die Projektauswahl von einem hohen Anteil an Wissenseinrichtungen bestimmt, deren Beteiligung von den Rahmenbedingungen begünstigt wird. Die Teilnahme von kleinen und mittelständischen Unternehmen sowie Kommunen wird von den Rahmenbedingungen hingegen erschwert, wodurch vorhandene regionale Potenziale nicht optimal genutzt und der Transformationsprozess insgesamt gefährdet werden kann. With the phase-out of lignite, the Rhenish mining area is at the beginning of a transformation process that will take decades. Structural funds of almost 15 billion euros are to be allocated as project funding until 2038. The basis for this is the economic and structural programme and a regional consensus with representatives of the region. The aim of this paper is to investigate to what extent the funding project selection helps to establish green development paths and move closer to the ambitious goal of a sustainable model region for energy supply and production. For this purpose, the characteristics of 22 submitted projects in the "Zukunftsfeld" energy and industry are analysed with regard to a typology of green paths. With the help of nine interviews, framework conditions (design of the funding process and resource endowment of the actors) that influence green path development processes in the Rhenish Revier could be identified. Path renewal processes of the regional industry as well as path creation dynamics especially in the hydrogen sector can be found. Overall, the project selection is determined by a high proportion of knowledge institutions, whose participation is favoured by the framework conditions. The participation of small and medium sized enterprises and municipalities, on the other hand, is hampered by the framework conditions, which means that existing regional potentials are not utilized optimally and the transformation process as a whole can be compromised.

Dieser Beitrag unterbreitet einen Vorschlag zur Berücksichtigung von Atmosphären bei der Analyse der sozialen Konstruktion von Landschaften. Ausgehend von einem Überblick über Ansätze der konstruktivistischen Landschaftsforschung mit einem Schwerpunkt auf den deutschsprachigen Raum wird ein gestiegenes Interesse am subjektiven, multisensoriellen Erleben bei dieser Analyse konstatiert, das bisher in der Forschung allerdings noch nicht umfänglich eingelöst wurde. Der Atmosphärenbegriff mit seinem Fokus auf die alle Sinne berücksichtigende In-situ-Begegnung mit Räumen verspricht, einen Beitrag zu dieser Problematik leisten zu können. Nach einer Vorstellung von Kernideen des Atmosphärenbegriffs wird zunächst auf einer konzeptionellen Ebene aufgezeigt, dass das bewusste Erleben von Atmosphären und ihrer Effekte grundsätzlich in die Konstruktion von Landschaften einfließen kann. Ergänzend hierzu wird in einem methodischen Kapitel dargestellt und anhand von zwei explorativen Beispielen illustriert, wie dem Einfließen von Atmosphären in subjektive Landschaftskonstruktionen empirisch auf die Spur gekommen werden kann. Der Beitrag endet mit einer Einordnung des Vorschlags in Entwicklungslinien der angelsächsischen Landschaftsgeographie. This paper puts forward a proposal for the consideration of atmospheres within the analysis of the social construction of landscape(s). Starting out from an overview of approaches in constructivist landscape research, focusing on the German speaking world, we may confirm an increased interest in the role of subjective multisensorial experience with regard to constructions of landscape(s), which has, however, not yet been reflected in current research approaches. The concept of atmosphere, with its consideration of multisensorial in situ-encounters, may be able to contribute to the scholarly discussion. Following a presentation of core ideas of the concept of atmosphere(s), we show that, on a conceptual level, the conscious experience of atmospheres and their effects may inform the construction of landscapes. Furthermore, in a methodological section we illustrate on the basis of two exploratory examples, how the influence of atmospheres on subjective constructions of landscape(s) may be empirically accessible. The paper closes with a discussion of our proposal within current trajectories of the Anglophone landscape geography.

The ongoing forced reflection on the leading urbanization models' crisis has led to greater attention to marginal areas. In Italy, the scientific and media debate has focused on inner areas that, since 2014, have represented the target of an innovative national cohesion policy aimed at tackling their shrinking dynamics: the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI). Indeed, Italian inner areas are endowed with extraordinary natural capital and settlement models far from urban density. Thus, they seem to respond perfectly to the new raised living needs. However, leaving aside the optimistic rhetoric, strong political and administrative choices are necessary to trigger a `return process' based on this broader attention toward inner areas, thus countering humankind's natural tendency to concentrate on urban realities. In this light, the paper proposes a tool to support SNAI in designing and implementing heritage-based local development strategies to address inner areas' real needs. After a critical reading of the new challenges for planning posed by the pandemic and SNAI's role within them, the contribution moves to frame the THEMA (Tool for Heritage-based Enhancement of Marginal Areas) tool, focusing on specificities of the inner areas as cultural heritage. Finally, the tool's application to a case study, an inner area in Campania Region, allows to outline and discuss its possible benefits for SNAI implementation and its limits.

Scholars in the social sciences are increasingly turning to research questions that explore everyday lived experiences, using participatory visual methodologies to promote critical reflections on urban challenges. In contrast with traditional research approaches, participatory visual methods engage directly with community participants, foregrounding their daily realities, and working towards collaborative knowledge production of participants’ situated experiences, potentially leading to transformative thinking and action. This participatory turn in research intersects with growing interests in community participation in collaborative planning and effective ways of engaging “unheard voices” in a planning context, particularly in marginalized neighbourhoods, using arts-based methods. This article critically examines the potential of participatory visual methodologies, exploring how the method of photovoice can reveal otherwise obscured perspectives from the viewpoint of communities in marginalised neighbourhoods. Based on a case study in the Downtown Eastside, Vancouver, the research considers whether and how creative participatory approaches can contribute to giving voice to communities and, if so, how these methods can impact a city’s planning for urban futures. The research shows that, potentially, photovoice can provide a means of communicating community perspectives, reimagining place within the framework of participatory planning processes to those who make decisions on the neighbourhood’s future. However, the research also demonstrates that there are limitations to the approach, bringing into sharp focus the ethical dimensions and challenges of participatory visual methodologies as a tool for engaging with communities, in an urban planning context.

This study examines determinant factors for the expansion of informal settlements in Gondar, a historical city in Ethiopia. In order to address this study objective, quantitative data were employed from 196 randomly selected households in four sites. The study indicated that a single factor is not determinant for the expansion of informal settlements in the city. The results of the study revealed that socio-economic, political and legislative, administrative, and demographic factors are statistically significant. These four dimensions together accounts 61.4 percent of all factors that facilitate the formation of informal settlement in Gondar city of Ethiopia. More specifically, socio-economic dimension is the first influential factor with 30.9%; political and legislative dimension is the second dominant factor with 15.7% followed by administrative dimension (10.2%); and demographic factors are contributed the least(4.6%) for the expansion of informal settlements. The study emphasized the need to implement appropriate urban planning, land and housing policy aimed at improving the efficient use of urban land. Improving the efficient use of urban land is imperative to address land prices and housing shortages, protecting farmland and ecosystems, and mainly to tackle land hoarding, urban sprawl and informal settlements.

Quantification of the ecosystem services of blue and green infrastructure in urban centres with the perspective of planning sustainable development is usually data-intensive, includes use of multi-platform datasets and adds to the complexities in deriving effective and reproducible metrics. The present study describes the creation of four simple metrics to estimate: 1. the ratio of 'green' vegetated areas to the 'blue' water spread areas, defined as the "Green-blue ratio" (GBA); 2. The ratio of 'blue' water spread areas to "built-up" ratio around the lakes, defined as the 'Blue to Built-up ratio' (BBA), 3. the percentage of impervious surface area (ISA) and 4. the pace of urbanisation in the dynamic zones (DZ) of urban lake environments. These new metrics were evaluated using landcover areas mapped from satellite imageries. Visual interpretation-based method was adopted to delineate the green, blue and built-up areas from Google Earth, which is suitable for wide range of users. The use of these metrics has been illustrated using available datasets for four representative lakes in Bengaluru city, India: Sankey tank, Ulsoor lake, Nagavarakere and Puttenahallikere. Significant spatio-temporal variations in the ratios of GBA and BBA as well as %ISA were observed and satisfactorily reflected the ecological status of these lakes in concurrence with earlier studies. Detailed analyses constrained a permissible rate of annual increase in the built-up area within the DZs to ∼ 3% for sustainable development of the lakes. The present set of metrics can be recommended as useful tools for urban planners and citizen scientists for seasonal monitoring of urban lake environments.

Due partly to neoliberal policies-especially in developing countries-and as a result of globalization, urban informality has become an indisputable part of urbanization since the 1970s. As a developing country, Iran has also dealt with the onset of this type of urbanism since the 1920s. The majority of global studies recognize the status of informal settlements and explain relevant approaches and actions. However, less emphasis is placed on informal reproduction factors; This study critically examines the factors that culminate in the reproduction of informality in Iran, namely the ominous triangle of power (government), the state economy, and knowledge-based on instrumental rationality (Technocracy) and its social, physical and environmental effects. This study seeks to evaluate the influential factors of urban informality in Iran with a critical and comprehensive view of the social, economic, political, physical dimensions and avoids an uni-dimensional tunnel vision. Findings show that the government policies and the economic sector monopoly play significant roles in the reproduction of poverty and informal settings in Iran. Furthermore, managerial and technical tools will act as government tools, the output of which manifests in its physical, social, and environmental factors.

Accurate short-term forecasting of public transport demand is essential for the operation of on-demand public transport. Knowing where and when future demands for travel are expected allows operators to adjust timetables quickly, which helps improve service quality and reliability and attract more passengers to public transport. This study addresses this need by developing AI-based deep learning models for prediction of bus passenger demands based on actual patronage data obtained from the smart-card ticketing system in Melbourne. The models, which consider the temporal characteristics of travel demand for some of the heaviest bus routes in Melbourne, were developed using real-world data from 18 bus routes and 1,781 bus stops. LSTM and BiLSTM deep learning models were evaluated and compared with five conventional deep learning models using the same data set. A desktop comparison was also undertaken against a number of established demand forecasting models that have been reported in the literature over the past decade. The comparative evaluation results showed that BiLSTM models outperformed other models tested and was able to predict passenger demands with over 90% accuracy.

The privatization of once publicly-funded affordable housing is the primary tool for preserving and maintaining affordable housing. This process, however, is quietly creating urban migration patterns that are altering the demographic profile of cities with cumulative change that we cannot fully estimate at this stage. There is growing need for a granular analysis at the parcel level to refocus the spotlight on this quiet displacement force. To start filling this lacuna, the article links privatization processes to gentrification and displacement. Through a case study of the privatization of Mitchell Lama buildings on Roosevelt Island, NYC, and the demographic changes it has engendered, this study points to a more significant trend of privatization of housing projects in American cities and worldwide. Its main argument is that, despite their quiet nature, which differs fundamentally from the Urban Renewal projects of the 1960s, the cumulative change they produce may be similar. On this basis, this study's main contribution is an in-depth, small-scale analysis aimed at deciphering the mechanisms, motivations, and decision-making processes of households experiencing ongoing privatization. Through a combination of ethnographic fieldwork, urban historical research, and statistical analysis, the study identifies three urban trends: 1. Privatization may lead to exclusionary displacement through increases in rent and cost of living; 2. Privatization may lead to social displacement pressures such as a sense of loss of place, loss of friends and community, and resentment among long-term residents; and 3. If the right policies are developed, privatization can present an opportunity for upward social mobility.

The growing global population has increased the demands for urban housing development not only in the cities but in suburbs and rural areas as well. This gradual but speedy urbanization and globalization have introduced a new kind of "night lifestyle" among people, who engage in various entertainment activities late in the evening till early mornings. This influx of urban architecture and changes in lifestyles have resulted in increased use of various kinds of lighting systems in our cities to a point where some cities like Mumbai and New York City are known as "the cities that never sleep." Although this might be contributing significantly to the economy, they cause greater harm-light pollution, with little to no awareness. This paper, therefore, deals with the various types and causes, and thus the consequences of light pollution, ranging from plants, animals, humans to astronomy. The documentation done so far concerning light pollution has been done by scientists and astronomers from the West. Thus, an attempt has been made to assess the awareness ratio among Indians between the ages of 16-65 through an online questionnaire, analyzing the collected data qualitatively. It was found that majority of the participants were not aware about the term 'light pollution' and consequently were not aware about the threat that comes with it. So the objective of this review paper is to bring attention to the severity of the issue of light pollution and make people aware of the consequences it has on our lives. All the effective mitigation policies and regulations from various countries around the world that were theorized to deal with this risk and propagate awareness are included. Our goal is to bring these solutions to practice in the Asian and South Asian countries like India and make the masses informed as light pollution is still a relatively new and alien concept.

Urbanization has brought in expeditious changing world trends from dispersed rural settlements to denser urban centers. Higher frequent economic activities have attracted a large in-flow of job seekers, migrant laborers, and foreign investors to urban centers, furthering the complexity. Contrary to beliefs, urban demography has not brought people together; instead, it has created a new concern, Urban Isolation. The paper tries to explain issues related to urban isolation from examples of cities experiencing it. Results from a survey to determine factors leading to urban isolation for three major cities in India, namely, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Kochi, are also presented. The study includes sensitivity analysis using ANOVA for gender, age group, and household sizes. Factor analysis resulted in two prominent factors, "Sociability" and "Acceptability." The paper provides probable solutions to counter the adverse effects of Urban Isolation. The findings from this study may be highly demographic-centric, catering to the Indian scenario.

While policy interest and research on recreational ecosystem services (RES) has increased substantially, insights into the actual flows of benefits to people have remained scarce, especially at levels beyond local communities. The aim of this paper is to model RES flows and benefits for Germany. We use Germany as a case study due its diversity of landscapes and availability of relevant spatial and empirical data. We develop and apply an assessment approach that considers RES demand and supply based on user preferences. Our results show distinct demand-supply matches and mismatches, for example in south-west Germany, and highest flows near population centres. Monetary benefits are highest in counties with high RES Supply that are close to densely populated areas. Our results can usefully inform planning and decision making, for example to improve and further justify destination management, landscape development and investments in RES at local, regional and national levels. Bundesamt für Naturschutz / Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Nukleare Sicherheit/UFOPLAN 2018/3518 81 040B/EU

The ‘Zukunftsdiskurs’ (future discourse) "Understanding and using place identities - an opportunity for future-oriented regions" (short title “Zukunftsdiskurs Place Identities”) has taken up and continued the debate on the foundations, goals and characteristics of regional identities. In workshops, actors in spatial planning and development, as well as scientists, discussed the topics of regionalization, regional development, place identities and attachments to 'Heimat' (homeland). The aim was to identify innovative approaches for regional development by considering place identities and developing practical implementation guidelines. The 'Zukunftsdiskurs' thus addressed the following objectives, • to point out identity-generating characteristics and their further development as an important prerequisite for the profiling of regions, • to use the knowledge of these potentials for regional change processes and • to make the debates about identity, 'Heimat' and participation more objective. Regionalization as a process of cooperative regional formation is not a foregone conclusion. However, if regional identity is discussed and made manageable for planning practice, regional development can take targeted action to shape regions in a future-oriented manner. The identification with one's region, the willingness to participate in planning processes and the understanding of joint and progressive territorial development are essential effects that the 'Zukunftsdiskurs' supports., Der Zukunftsdiskurs „Raumbezogene Identitäten verstehen und nutzen – eine Chance für zukunftsorientierte Regionen“ (Kurztitel „Zukunftsdiskurs Raumbezogene Identitäten“) hat die Auseinandersetzung zu Grundlagen, Zielen und Ausprägungen regionaler Identitäten aufgegriffen und weitergeführt. In mehreren Foren diskutierten Akteure/-innen der räumlichen Planung und Entwicklung sowie Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler die Themen Regionalisierung, Regionalentwicklung, räumliche Identitäten und Heimatbezüge. Ziel war es, innovative Ansätze für die Berücksichtigung raumbezogener Identitäten bei der Entwicklung von Regionen zu erheben und praktische Umsetzungshinweise zu erarbeiten. Im Zukunftsdiskurs ging es also darum, • identitätsstiftende Merkmale und deren Weiterentwicklung als wichtige Voraussetzung für eine Profilierung von Regionen aufzuzeigen, • das Wissen um diese Potenziale für regionale Veränderungsprozesse zu nutzen und • die Debatten um Identität, Heimat und Teilhabe zu versachlichen. Regionalisierung als Prozess kooperativer Regionsbildung ist kein Selbstläufer. Erfasst und diskutiert man jedoch regionale Identität und macht sie für die Planungspraxis handhabbar, kann Regionalentwicklung hier gezielt ansetzen, um Regionen zukunftsorientiert zu gestalten. Die Identifikation mit der eigenen Region, die Bereitschaft, sich an Planungsprozessen zu beteiligen und das Verständnis von gemeinschaftlicher und progressiver Raumentwicklung sind wesentliche Effekte, die der Zukunftsdiskurs unterstützt.